ADVANTAGES OF ERBIUM LASER OVER CO2 IN LASER GYNECOLOGY (BALG – BRITISH ACADEMY OF LASER GYNAECOLOGY)
Whilst both CO2 and Erbium lasers have been around for a number of years, there are very significant reasons why Erbium based systems are advantageous when it comes to the type of Gynaecological procedures promoted by the British Academy of Laser Gynaecology.
Key differences between Er: YAG and CO2 lasers
| CO2 | ER:YAG | |
|---|---|---|
| Absorption in water | 15 x less then Er: YAG | 15 x more than CO2 |
| Optical penetration | 50 um | 3-5 um |
| Mechanism of action | Ablation | Thermal diffusion |
| Aggressiveness of treatment | Always partial necrosis and associated adverse effects | Surface of mucosa is not ablated (damaged) |
| Depth of penetration | 3mm or more | 300-500 um |
Τι σημαίνει αυτό στην κλινική πράξη
| CO2 | ER:YAG | |
|---|---|---|
| Χρόνος θεραπείας | 20 λεπτά | 15 λεπτά |
| Επίπεδο πόνου | 5 | 0 |
| Περιοχή θεραπείας | Κόλπος | Κόλπος και είσοδος του κόλπου |
| Χρόνος επούλωσης | 20 μέρες | 2 μέρες |
| Χρόνος επόμενης θεραπείας | 60 μέρες | 15- 20 μέρες |
| Επιστροφή στην σεξουαλική δραστηριότητα | 10 μέρες | 3 μέρες |
Difference in complication rates
| CO2 | ER:YAG | |
|---|---|---|
| Bleeding | 35.3% | 0% |
| Scar tissue | 13% | 0% |
| Pain | 70.2% | 0% |
| Chronic leucorrhea | 23.4% | 0% |
| Vulvodynea | 11% | 0% |
| Delayed healing | 28% | 0% |
| Vaginal cyst | 4.1% | 0% |
